The individual who recently trespassed and fell from Eugenia Falls will be looking at a $15,000 bill to cover the cost of the rescue.
In mid-June, Grey Sauble Conservation Authority (GSCA) saw two separate but nearly identical incidents of individuals falling from the Eugenia Falls Conservation Area.
The first incident occurred on June 16 and involved an 11-year-old boy who is a resident of Grey Highlands.
At the time, the facility was open to the public and the youth was exploring off the guided trail with friends in an area prohibited for public use and fell from the top of the falls.
"When the first incident occurred at Eugenia Falls, Grey Sauble closed the park immediately on that day,” said Grey Highlands councillor Cathy Little, who is also the chair of the board of directors for GSCA.
“The gate to the park was locked and closed signage was put up as well as visual signage in the park. The road to the park was barricaded and the Ontario Provincial Police were very co-operative and increased their presence as well,” Little explained.
The second incident occurred days later on June 19 in the same spot. At the time of the incident, the property was still closed to the public.
The individual involved was reported to be a 19-year-old male from the Collingwood-area.
“Three Grey Highlands Firefighters set out on foot with an EMS staff to make patient contact,” stated Grey Highlands Fire Chief, Marty Wellwood in a staff report to council.
“The patient appeared to have suffered serious injuries from the fall, therefore removing the patient on foot was not an option,” he continued.
Both incidents required the assistance of the Blue Mountains High Angle Rescue Team to extract the injured individuals in a rescue basket system.
The Grey Highlands and Blue Mountains Fire Departments hold a mutual aid agreement where Grey Highlands is invoiced for each call Blue Mountains attends.
According to Wellwood, the cost billed to Grey Highlands for the high-angle rescue was $6,000 for the June 16 incident and $5,000 for the June 19 incident.
The cost is determined by the time involved and number of staff, vehicles and equipment required.
At the Grey Highlands council meeting held yesterday afternoon, Wellwood recommended that the male party from the incident on June 19 be billed in accordance with the Grey Highlands Fees and Charges By-law 2012-63.
The total cost for the June 19 rescue is $15,444.50, which will be invoiced to the individual by the Grey Highlands finance department.
A full breakdown of the costs for each rescue is included in this agenda package under staff report FES.20.03.
Wellwood also recommended that the council not pursue cost recovery for the June 16 event, which totalled $16,555.73.
He says that although the accidents occurred in almost the exact same spot and required nearly identical rescue efforts, the circumstances are very different.
“In the first incident, the Grey Sauble area was open to the public and it was an 11-year-old child who is a resident of Grey Highlands and lives just up the road in Eugenia. Maybe, through some misadventure, he got into a situation where we needed to rescue him,” Wellwood said.
“The second event involved non-residents of Grey Highlands, who had to proceed past the barricade, a closed gate and multiple signs,” he continued. “They were also in an area that they had to climb over a wall and a fence to participate in their activities. They were also 19-years-old and should have known the dangers they were getting themselves in.”
Wellwood says individuals can request leniency on the cost recovery but that decision would be at council's discretion.
On top of the bill to cover the cost of the rescue, Wellwood also reported that all three males who attended the closed site with the injured male were charged with trespassing, which can carry a fine of up to $10,000.
GSCA reopened Eugenia Falls to the public on July 3.
Little says since the incidents, GSCA has taken several steps to ensure enhanced public safety, including installing an additional 150-feet of cage wire fencing, reduced the operating hours, added personnel to the site and connected with Bruce Trail operators to reroute portions of its trail to reduce traffic in the area.
“Bruce Trail has completely rerouted that section of the trail,” Little said. “The trail has been rerouted to direct people away from the area.”
Eugenia Falls is now open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with staff on-site and strict reminders to stay on the marked trails.
